Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a walking assist device adapted to assist a user with walking.
Description of the Related Art
There has conventionally been known a walking assist device adapted to assist walking by applying a force output from a drive source (hereinafter referred to as “the assist force”) to the legs of a person who has developed difficulty walking due to weakened muscle or the like (hereinafter referred to as “the user”) (refer to, for example, Japanese Patent No. 5081740 (hereinafter referred to as “Patent Document 1”)).
The walking assist device includes a drive source (electric motor), which outputs an assist force to assist the user with walking, a first orthosis (an abdominal belt and a lower back pad) to be attached to the waist of the user, second orthoses (thigh orthoses) to be attached to the legs of the user, a main body frame (back frame) to be fixed to the waist of the user by the first orthosis, and transmission members (power transmission arms), which connect the main body frame and the second orthoses and transmits an assist force to the legs of the user.
However, according to the configuration in which the main body frame, which is fixed to the waist of the user through the intermediary of the first orthosis, and the second orthoses fixed to the legs of the user are connected by the transmission members, as in the walking assist device described in Patent Document 1, there has been a danger of a stress being concentrated on a part of the main body frame or the transmission members, depending on the body shape of the user.